William lowes rushton



No. 62I,429. Patehted Mar. 2:, I899.

w. RUSHTON. EXERCISING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Dec. 19, 1898.)

(No Modal.)

UNITED STATES P PATENT OEEIcE.

IVILLIAM LOVVES RUSHTON, OF LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND.

EXERCISING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 621 ,429, dated March21, 1899.

Application filed December 19, 1898. Serial No.. 699,742. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVILLIAM LOWES RUSH- TON, a subject of the Queen ofGreat Britain, residing at Liverpool, in the county of Lancaster,England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ExercisingApparatus, of which the following is a specification. i

This invention has for its object to provide an apparatus for developingthe strength and pliability in various muscles and ligaments in thefingers, hand, and wrist, especially those which are brought into use inperforming on the pianoforte and many other instruments, and inoperating type-writing machines and other key-actuated mechanisms, whichapparatus shall be portable and occupy but a small compass.

The invention will be understood from the following description,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, which shows a generalView of my apparatus.

Referring to the drawing, I provide a fram having a base A and twouprights B, hinged to the base, so that they may fall fiat thereon orstand at right angles thereto. Mounted in these uprights there is arotary bar 0, removable therefrom. D are elastic springs or-otherresilient connection, which connect the bar 0 to the frame. Theseelastic springs D are coupled to the frame, as at d, and to the rotarybar O through the cords E, passing over guide-pulleysF. Oneormoreofthesesprings can be used at a time, according to the amount of exertiondesired, and thus the rotary bar C may be acted upon with more or lessforce, according to the strain which it is desired to bring upon themuscles of the fingers and wrist of the operator.

To exercise the fingers, hand, and wrist, the bar is grasped in theright and left hand alternately and rotated so as to wind the cords Eonto the bar, and this may be done either with the hands in pronationand the cords winding on the off side of the bar, with the hands insupination and the cords winding on the off side of the bar, with thehands in supination and the cords winding on the near side of the bar,or with the hands in pronation and the cords winding on the near side ofthe bar. These'exercises may be varied by winding and unwinding with onehand in One or two revolutions of the bar at portable, so that it can becarried about from place to place. To collapse the apparatus, all thatis necessary is to uncouple the elastics D from the frame, remove thebar, and fold the uprights on the base. It can then be packed into asmall compass. Instead of using cords the elastic spring might bearranged to wind direct onto the rotary bar.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In exercising apparatus, the combination with a frame, of a rotarybar adapted to be grasped by the right and left hand alternately androtated, cords fastened to this rotary bar, and thence passed overguide-pulleys to resilient connections secured to the frame, whereby byturning the bar in one direction or the other, with the hands insupination or pronation a gradual increase or decrease inexertion isobtained with a thorough exercise of the muscles and ligaments of thehands, fingers and wrist, substantially as described.

2. In exercising apparatus, the combination of aframe havinga base andtwo uprights hinged to the base so as to fold thereon when required, a.rotary bar mounted between these uprights, and springs so arranged as toconnect the bar to the frame, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 16th day ofNovember, 1898, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WVILLIAM LOWES RUSIITO-N.

Witnesses:

G. O. DYMOND, W. H. BEESION.

